Identification cards and systems, in general, are in widespread use. Schools, businesses, organizations and the like generally utilize plastic, laminated cards with photographs and personal data to provide a positive identification for the bearer of the card. During evolution of credit card and identification card systems, progress has been made from a plain paper card that is filled out and retained in one's wallet to a sophisticated laminate where a photograph of the bearer is provided along with a preform that bears the personal data, both being positioned between laminar with the composite being heat sealed to form a unitary structure. Such types of identification systems are impervious to water and moisture and are more permanent in nature than their predecessor paper identification cards. Photographs in use in identification systems have provided a suitable positive identification technique in conjunction with credit cards, identification cards or other items used by the bearer for an intended purpose. Likewise, other techniques such as the use of micronegatives, matching physical features, size and shapes of photographs, and the like have been employed to lessen the probability of alteration of cards whereby the identifying means of the bearer have been removed and replaced with a fraudulent substitute. Systems have thus become sophisticated from the standpoint of matching a card to the bearer to positively identify the bearer as one to whom the card had been issued.
The aforementioned techniques are valid and successful in situations where it is desirable to identify the bearer as the owner of the card. Whether a photograph, a fingerprint, a micronegative indicia display, a photograph of a particular shape, or the like is employed, all are suitable for their intended purposes. Since the bearer is available and cogent at the time the card is presented for identification purposes, the matter of true identification can be fairly simple. In situations, however, where the bearer has been injured and is comatose, or has been killed perhaps with partial or substantial destruction of the facial features or substantial destruction of the epidermal body covering, it becomes exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to utilize conventional identification techniques to positively identify the body.
Teeth due to their structure are not easily destroyed along with other body parts. Even in the circumstance where a body is severely burned, the dental structure or other anatomy around the oral cavity will generally remain in tact. Further, a wallet carried by a person in a mass disaster situation is likely to avoid total destruction due to the multiple layers and to placement of same among articles of clothing in a pocketbook or the like. Hence, a fatality in a plane crash may well be destroyed beyond recognition by visual observation of physical features while the teeth remain in tact along with an identification system. A card produced according to the teachings of the present invention carrying a radiograph could then be used for comparative analysis to positively identify the individual from the structure of the teeth or surrounding anatomy.
The present invention thus represents a definite improvement in the art of identification systems in the area of forensic dentistry. The prior art does not teach or suggest the identification system of the present invention. Exemplary of the prior art are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,587,022 to Langan; 2,633,654 to Roetger; 2,859,550 to Langan; 3,048,697 to Cavanaugh et al; 3,253,360 to Spicer; 3,571,957 to Cumming et al; 3,668,795 to Barker; 3,805,238 to Rothfjell; 3,827,726 to McVoy et al, and 3,874,979 to Hannon.